Joel 3:1
“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God points ahead to the time when He will restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem from captivity.
What Does Joel 3:1 Mean?
The final chapter opens by fixing our gaze on a future day, in those days, and in that time, when God will bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. The phrase means to reverse their fortunes, to restore what was lost and gather the scattered. Having promised the Spirit and deliverance, God now turns to set His people right and to deal with the nations that wronged them.
Behold calls the reader to attention: God has not forgotten His people in their humiliation. The restoration of Judah and Jerusalem is a recurring hope of the prophets, a sign that God keeps covenant even after discipline. What He begins here is the reversal of every loss, the turning of captivity into freedom. For all who have known seasons of exile, whether of place or of soul, this is a steadying word: the God who scattered for a time is the God who gathers and restores, and His final purposes for His people are good.